elite runnersTag Archive

Come Sunday, May 27, around 25,000 runners in Bengaluru will put on their running gear and line up at the Kanteerava Stadium in the heart of the city to participate in the TCS World 10k, Capt Seshadri profiles the elites at the big race.

Champions with disabilities, senior citizens and fun loving majja runners will run a shorter distance, while the 10k will see an Open category, with qualifying standards for participation and, of course, the stars of the event, the elite runners in the World 10k.

Leading this last category in the men’s section will be 27 year old Kenyan, Alex Oliotiptip Korio, defending champion, with a last year’s time of 28:12. He has a personal best of 58:51 in the half marathon, set in Copenhagen in September last year, a city that seems to be his favourite, where in September 2016, he blazed the roads with a timing of 27:37 in the 10k.

Korio will have to put up a good fight to ward off fellow countryman Geoffrey Kipsong Kamworor, younger by two years and with a string of impressive runs as well. A half marathon time of 58:54 in the UAE and a 10k time of 27:44 in Bengaluru in May 2014, are certain indications of a highly competitive event.

The women’s field will be led by Netsanet Gudeta, a 26 year old Ethiopian, with a best 10k timing of 31:35 set at Ottawa exactly a year ago. Gudeta arrives in Bengaluru on the back of a half marathon 1:06:11 at Valencia in March this year, breaking the world record for the ‘women only’ half marathon.

Among the Indian elite runners are the current course record holder Suresh Kumar, with 29:49 set in May 2015. Challenging him would be Srinu, local favourite AB Belliappa and Shankar Man Thapa, all podium finishers at the Tata Mumbai Marathon in January this year. Defending champion Saigeetha Naik with 36:01 leads the women’s field that is filled with other star studded names like Monica Athare, Sanjivani Yadav and India’s first Olympic finalist after 32 years, Lalita Babar.

Those hoping for cool weather in Bengaluru, may have their prayers answered, but one can surely expect some pyrotechnics on the track.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Capt Seshadri Sreenivasan is a former armed forces officer with over 30 years experience in marketing. He also a consulting editor with a leading publishing house. He is a co-author of the best selling biography of astronaut Sunita Williams.

Petty Officer Praveen Teotia, Shaurya Chakra, Naval Commando impresses Capt Seshadri with his sheer grit and determination to not let his disabilities interfere with this athleticism.

“I am a mean, keen, fighting machine’! The motto of the Commando. The words that motivate the man beyond anything else. “Commando”! The war cry that instils terror and sends shivers down the spine of the enemy.

That fateful day, the 26th of November 2008, when some of the most hardcore terrorists in the world took siege of the Taj Mumbai, Marine Commando Praveen Teotia was to enact those very words. Breaking into the stronghold of the insurgents, he took on the enemy in close quarter battle, and in the process took four bullets in the chest and ear, damaging his lungs and causing partial hearing impairment. For this act of extreme bravery against all odds in the face of the enemy, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry award.

As a permanently disabled sailor, having become unfit for normal battlefield duties, but being honourably decorated, he was promoted to the rank of Petty Officer and assigned desk duties. However, this commando, hailing from Bhatola village in Bulandshahr, remained a fighter at heart. Despite his dire medical condition, he applied for a mountaineering expedition, but was refused on medical grounds; but nothing could deter him from his fixed idea. He just had to prove his fitness. Through a few Taj Hotel staff who he had befriended during the action, he connected with marathon runner and trainer Pervin Batliwala. In 2014, under his guidance and encouragement, Teotia began training to run marathons.

Afraid of how the Navy would react to a possible failed bid to participate under their banner, he ran incognito in the 2015 Mumbai Half Marathon. The next year, he gutsily participated in the Indian Navy Half Marathon. His successes automatically led him to aspire for greater triumphs. He moved up to the Half Iron Man Triathlon in Jaipur, which entailed a 1.9 km swim, 90 km of cycling and a 21 km run. Despite these stupendous feats, Praveen was unsure and a bit nervous about how the Navy would react to the long leaves required for training and participation. So, with a point to prove that this was the same commando who had been severely injured while fighting extremists in the Taj, he opted for voluntary retirement from the Navy. Says Petty Officer Teotia: “After I was shot, doctors had given up on me. But I hung on for five months in the hospital and recovered, although my hearing was impaired.” He simply couldn’t give up at this stage.

Khardung La, in Ladakh, at over 18,000 feet, is the highest motorable pass in the world. Even the sturdiest and most powerful of motor vehicles struggle to battle the steep inclines. The rarified atmosphere tests even the fittest of persons with its low oxygen levels. However, this human machine seemed to have no such problems. On September 9, 2017, Praveen Teotia not only completed the 72 km Khardung La Marathon, but did so in 12.5 hours, well within the stipulated time of 15 hours. Coach Batliwala was amazed. “I have met very few with such willpower. Finishing Khardung La is no child’s play. I did it last year. The oxygen levels are low and it is doubly difficult for someone with a damaged lung. To do so well is a stupendous achievement.”

Praveen proved his coach wrong by actually making it child’s play, with yet another unbelievable achievement. It takes the most courageous and committed athlete from among the fittest of the fit to complete an Ironman, the gruelling event in South Africa, considered one of the most challenging courses in the world. This former commando set his sights and his heart on it. Kaustubh Radkar, one of the most successful Ironman finishers and a certified coach, took Praveen under his tutelage. Earlier this year, Praveen cycled 180.2 km, ran 42.2 km and swam 3.86 km to achieve that ultimate, endurance defying event, the Ironman Triathlon. A little past the three-quarter mark, the derailleur of his cycle gave way. The remaining portion of the sector was mostly uphill, but Teotia completed it despite an injured knee and ankle adding to his already damaged lung. With a bleeding leg, this incredible athlete ran the marathon and then swam his way to complete, in the process being the first disabled Indian Ironman.

Let’s face it. A true commando never fades away. He does or he dies.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Capt Seshadri Sreenivasan is a former armed forces officer with over 30 years experience in marketing. He also a consulting editor with a leading publishing house. He is a co-author of the best selling biography of astronaut Sunita Williams.

Nandini Reddy takes a look at one of the most anticipated marathon’s in the world, the Virgin London Marathon 2018.

Whenever we think London Marathon we think rain, but this year the rains decided to visit Boston and the sun will be out in full force this Sunday for the 38th Virgin London Marathon 2018. While that has become the talking point of the marathon this year the marathon is attracting its share of elite runners and celebrities. The marathon is also famous for the number of runners who turn up in the zaniest of costumes.

Here are a few things you need to remember when you run the famed London Marathon this year

There will always be a queue for toilets so be prepared

Find your place in the starting corrals because it will take at least a mile before its free running as the crowd spreads out

You will be running with gorillas and Batman, so get ready to have them whiz past you

If you like seeing the sights then you can look out for The Big Ben, Isle of Dogs, Canary Wharf and Surrey Quays to name a few

Crowds will cheer you on through the way; absorb that energy

Don’t be too surprised if you hear someone yell you name, its on your BIB and people are just calling out encouragements

As you near the finish line, the crowds will get louder and more boisterous. It can be annoying or encouraging, depending on how you view it

The Heat

Weathermen are saying that the temperate is expected to spike to 24C. Thus far the record of high temperature has been 22C. This unreasonably warm weather might play spoilsport for all the runners who want to run in costume. For the regular runner, remember to dress wisely. Also not over exerting themselves keeping in mind the warm weather would be a good idea. While there is an expected short spell of rain, experts feel that this will slow the race down because it might make the running surface slick.

The Elites

More than 40,000 people will be lining up to run the London Marathon this year. Among the elites, we have Sir Mo Farah back in action this year and is looking to best his time of 2:08:21 that he set in 2014. Last year’s winner Daniel Wanjiru might not be deterred by the temperatures and will be looking to repeat last year’s success. The Kenyan, Mary Keitany is back again to defend her title against fierce competition from Ethiopian runner Tirnuesh Dibaba who lost out by mere seconds in 2017. Gladys Cherono, a fan favourite at the Berlin Marathon will be running the London Marathon for the first time this year.

Running for a Cause

Like all big marathons, London attracts a host of people supporting causes. The big charities have a host of celebrities running for them. But there are many interesting smaller stories like a Norfolk teacher running to raise funds for a hospital that saved her son and the father running a bear costume to raise funds for his daughter’s treatment. The most exciting one that many will be watching for is Simon Kindleyside, who will be running his first London Marathon with an exo-skeleton suit instead of a wheelchair. Simon is determined to complete the course, so that he can show that being paralysed shouldn’t stop anyone from achieving their marathon dreams.

There might be changes in personal best timings if the heat becomes too unbearable but if runners remember to hydrate and aim finish the course, they should be better off.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An irregular runner who has run in dry, wet, high altitude and humid conditions. Loves to write a little more than run so now is the managing editor of Finisher Magazine.

Are you running the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) this weekend? Then make note of the routes you will explore on your run.

Full Marathon (Amateur & Elite) Routes

Please note that the amateur full marathon differs from the elite full marathon in terms of timing. The amateur race begins at 5:40am while the elite race begins at 7:10am. The start point for both is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

You will be running past the iconic Wankhede Stadium for cricket, the glorious Sea Link Bridge, the much-revered Siddhi Vinayak Temple and the Mahalaxmi Race Course before finishing again at CSMT.

The elites running this year include Solomon Deksisa, Chele Dechasa, Bornes Kitur and Amane Gobena to name a few.

Half Marathon & 10K Routes

The Half Marathon starts at 5:40am at Worli Diary. The route loops around the glorious Sea link bridge before finishing at the iconic CSMT.

The 10k route is a loop starting and finishing at CSMT, starting at 6:10am. The race route takes you past the Flora Fountain, Wankhede Stadium before turning and going by Charni Station before finishing at CSMT again.

Dream Run, Senior Run & Champions with Disability Routes

The Dream run route of approximately 6kms, starts at CSMT at 8:20am, loops at the Princess street flyover and finishes opposite to the Metro Big Cinemas.

The Senior Citizens route is a 4.3km run which begins at 7:25am at CSMT and finishes at the Metro Big Cinemas.

The Champions with Disability Run begins at CSMT at 7:45am and ends at MG Road covering a distance of 1.5kms.

Please note that all routes will be vehicle free and parking free so you need to plan your travel to and from the race.

The TMM is one of the most coveted marathons in India. So for all of you who have the opportunity to be part of it, run, enjoy and set new records.

The TATA Steel Kolkatta 25k will see some formidable elite runners on the track. Capt Seshadri Sreenivasan, profiles two of the top runners who will be running with you this year.

The top runners in the male and female categories are Kenenisa Bekele from Ethiopia and Helah Kiprop from Kenya respecitively.

The master of track, road and cross country- Bekele

And now the marathon too!

Kenenisa Bekele was born on June 13, 1982 in Ethiopia, famed for its long distance runners. Starting as a junior in cross country, in 2001, he outran the pack at the IAAF World Junior Cross Country championships, beating the existing time by 33 seconds. He never had to look back. Later the same year, he broke the 3,000 m world junior record in Brussels and won gold at the 15 k road race in the Netherlands, establishing himself as the master on all three surfaces. He dominated the cross country running scene for a full five years, from 2002 to 2006, winning the short and long course events, unmatched by any other runner before or since. His tally of 19 medals in the junior and senior events established him as the true master of cross country.

At the age of 32, when most runners would be contemplating retirement, Kenenisa made his marathon debut in Paris in April 2014, bettering the course record as well as the time for a debut marathon, beating the performances of legends like countryman Gebrselassie and current greats Wanjiru and Tergat. A persistent Achilles tendon injury forced him out of competition during 2015, but he returned to competition at the 2016 London Marathon. Running at way below 100% fitness, he finished third in a time of 2:06:36 behind Eluid Kipchoge and Stanley Biwott. During this gruelling race, already hampered by injury, his designated pacemakers further added to his woes by using up his drinks at five refreshment stations. In the Berlin Marathon of 2016, he timed in at 2:03:03, the second fastest marathon ever run and a personal best for himself.

The secrets to Kenenisa’s running ability are his long strides, high cadence and superb running style. His acceleration over the last lap is legendary, at times covering the final 400 m in a little over 50 seconds and the last 200 m in as low as 24 seconds. His low weight reinforces the theory of focussing on calorific quality than on quantity. Having been born in a village in the mountains, he also had a natural advantage of practising in a rarefied atmosphere. Bekele had an explosive ‘kick’, the result of fast paced training, consisting of a series of intense runs, broken by short periods of rest. Running hard uphill and recovering on the down slope equipped him with tremendous stamina and endurance.

When not beating the world in marathons, he is busy in Addis Ababa, constructing a hotel and a stadium to help the younger generation of Ethiopians train in world class facilities. Kenenisa now comes to the TS25K Kolkata, as the current world and Olympic record holder over the 5,000m and 10,000 m.

No half measures

21.1 km. 67:39 minutes. 42.2 km. 2:27:29 hours.

Helah Kiprop Jelagat, Kenya’s leading woman distance runner found her calling in road racing after a few attempts on the track. Born on April 7, 1985, she began her training with Italian athletics club GS Valsugana Trentino, winning her first 10 km road race in 2005 in 32:55. Her half marathon debut at Lille in September the same year, saw her finish on the podium, in third place in 74:02. The year 2007 saw her earn successes in the 15 km road race and she won the Tuskys Wareng Cross Country in her home country, Kenya, in 2008.

Kiprop’s performances started improving after 2009, when she clinched a series of road victories, competing in the half marathon and 10k races. 2010 was a year of second place finishes, mainly in Europe, with a personal best of 32:20 in the Odele 10k, while 2011 was a year of almost nil participation.

The Berlin Half Marathon 2012 saw her return to competitive athletics, the year she travelled to South America for the first time for the Bogota Half Marathon. November found her in India for the first time, for the Delhi Half Marathon, in which she finished a close third. The following year, her creditable performances in the Egmond and RAK Half marathons and her win in the Berlin Half Marathon, earned her an invite to her first full marathon in Berlin. She debuted with a time of 2:28:02 which earned her fourth place and kickstarted her foray into the 42.2. The year ended with another visit to India, with a gold in the Kochi Half Marathon.

Her first full marathon came in Seoul, where she ran her best time of 2:27:29, fighting for top spot over the last few kilometres against her rival Ashu Kasim. She is back in India for her third race, the TSK25 Kolkata, this December.

Helah Kiprop is coached by her husband David Marus, who is an acknowledged expert on nutrition and running. Helah’s trains at Iten in Kenya, often spending her off season outside. Her farm provides with her with all her training requirements; she even has her own cow that provides her with milk.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Capt Seshadri Sreenivasan is a former armed forces officer with over 30 years experience in marketing. He also a consulting editor with a leading publishing house. He is a co-author of the best selling biography of astronaut Sunita Williams

It was the Mexico Olympics of 1968. A champion middle distance runner, was suffering from gallstones, and had been warned by doctors not to participate, as he might be putting his life at risk. He was not one to pay heed. Running the 10,000 m, suffering from severe exhaustion, he nearly collapsed on the track with just three laps to go and, in the process, disqualified himself by stepping off the track. Pain and disqualification notwithstanding, he stepped back and completed the race. Just two days later, ignoring his pain, he won silver in the 5,000 m, where he finished a mere fifth of a second behind the gold medalist.

Having also qualified on the same evening for the 1,500 m finals, on the day of the finals, after having tried to sleep off his ache and discomfort, he woke up an hour before the event and just about made it to the bus that was leaving for the venue. Stuck in traffic on the way and realising that he would be late for the event, he got off the bus and ran the remaining 3 km to the stadium, carrying his kit with him. Starting his event just 20 minutes or so after reaching the stadium, he raced to the 1,500 m gold, beating the silver medal winner, the then world record holder and title favourite, American Jim Ryun, by an unbelievable 20 m. To this day, it is not clear whether such a large margin has ever been seen between winner and runner in this event at any Olympics. Four years later, at the Munich Olympics, he won the steeplechase gold and the 1,500 m silver, thus winning almost every conceivable middle distance race.

It started here

Kipchoge Hezekiah Keino was born in Kenya on January 17, 1940. His incredible career in international athletics began at the Commonwealth Games in Perth in 1962, where he acquitted himself reasonably well, although he did not win any medals. His quest for gold fructified in 1965, at the All Africa Games where he broke the world record for the 3,000 m by over 6 seconds. Incidentally, he had never competed over that distance before. Later the same year, he shattered Ron Clarke’s 5,000 m world record in a time of 13:42.2.

As a child, Kip Keino went to a school around 4 miles from his home. From the tender age of five, in primary school, till he finished high school, he would run to class every morning, run home for lunch and back to school again, before sprinting home again in the evening. That worked out to an amazing 16 miles a day. And all of it barefoot under a scorching African sun! It is widely believed that Kip Keino was a fitness instructor in the Army and could have possibly trained using calisthenics. Although there very few documented reports about his schedule, some contend that he only ran around 60 or 70 miles a week, even taking off days every now and then.

Kenya’s Kip

Kip’s contribution to Kenyan athletics goes far beyond winning medals for his country. Years later, he remains an inspiration for hundreds of men and women athletes from his country who continue to make and break records in the world arena.

In his home town of Eldoret in Kenya, Kipchoge Keino, ably supported by his wife Phyllis, has established the Lewa Children’s Home, an institution for orphans, and the Kip Keino primary and secondary schools. For his dedication towards working with orphans, he was conferred with Sports Illustrated magazine’s “Sportsmen and Sportswomen of the Year” award in 1987, and characterized as one among “Athletes Who Care”. In 1996, he was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Capt Seshadri Sreenivasan is a former armed forces officer with over 30 years experience in marketing. He also a consulting editor with a leading publishing house. He is a co-author of the best selling biography of astronaut Sunita Williams

Ramesh Kartha, the race director of the Spice Coast Marathon talks about the just concluded race this year.

In the land of endless greenery, a special marathon that meanders through the streets of Kochi through all the historical locations of the Muziris. Ramesh Kartha, Boston Marathon Finisher and race director shares his thoughts about the race.

There is a unique feature about the Spice Coast Marathon, where you have designed it to pass 42 monuments, how did this idea come about?
The idea of 42km with 42 landmarks came about while thinking of a unique way to bring our race to runners. Kochi has a rich heritage of many hundreds of years. There are artifacts of many cultures that can be seen all over this place within a small geographical area. That’s why we thought of the idea of a “running tourist” who might get a different perspective of both Kochi and running while doing it.

The Spice Coast Marathon has also gained fame for being a Boston qualifier, but this year with a change in course the runners didn’t get the opportunity to qualify? What changed?
We had two strong reasons for recommending a course change this year. We had some bad patches in the previous courses with respecting lighting and road conditions. We also have Kochi Municipal Corporation as our active partner this year and they preferred the race being conducted more towards the city to engage more people and sights.

The race also is one of the few without prize money so do you attract elite runners despite this?
Since we do not have any prize money for our event, we hardly see any “elite” runners in the conventional sense. However, we would like to think of every runner as an elite, hence we welcome runners of all ages and abilities.While many of our local runners are repeat participants for obvious reasons, we also have loyal supporters from outside Kerala and abroad who have participated in every edition.

What best course timing did you see this year?
The full marathon saw the best time of 3:14 hrs and the half marathon had a best time of 1:16 hrs which are very impressive.

Why should this race be on every runner’s yearly running schedule?
This is purely a runner’s event. We celebrate road running in its purest form. You can see the passionate team from Soles of Cochin doing everything we can to make this a long-cherished experience for every runner. The volunteers are excellent, the cheering zones by the Depart of Tourism are enthralling and the sights of the historic Kochi are breathtaking and of course, the medal 🙂

As a Boston Finisher yourself, how challenging is the Spice Coast in comparison?
Spice Coast course is challenging due to the location it’s in – the humid Kochi. While November weather in Kochi is reasonably cool, the humidity can still be high and challenging. The course is quite flat, so it can be fast if the weather cooperates.

Lessons from this year that you would like the share.
Our biggest single-most challenge this year was the course finalization that got dragged into the final week with all discussions and approvals with the authorities. We plan to start the process early next year, even though a possibility of any last minute changes can’t be ruled out. Overall, the feedback we received about the event this year has been mainly positive.

For every passionate runner the Spice Coast Marathon is a must finish at least once in a lifetime. But once you run it, you just might come back every year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An irregular runner who has run in dry, wet, high altitude and humid conditions. Loves to write a little more than run so now is the managing editor of Finisher Magazine.

It’s a matter of storing glycogen in your muscles before the big event, but if you are wondering which is best option for you, then read on as Radhika Meganathan discusses both approaches here.

Every runner knows about and dreads hitting the “wall”, which happens when your body is depleted of energy, and energy comes from burning fuel, usually in the form of glycogen. To “load’ is to help your body fill up on its glycogen so that it can use it up for energy and keep you going as you are doing a long distance sport (anything that’s over 2 hours in duration). But what exactly should you load your body with – carbs or fat? Does it even matter?

Before answering this question, let’s first take a look at why glycogen plays a crucial role in the pre-race diet of a runner.

Why is glycogen important?

Let’s say you eat a delicious plate of biriyani or penne pasta. Once all those carbohydrates enter your system, most of it gets stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. It’s like keeping money in a savings account; your body dips into it and you burn and lose energy during a race. So, the idea is to save enough glycogen to last an entire race. So now you have a free pass to eat whatever you want before the race, with no worries about dieting! All within certain reason, of course, as explained in the next part of this article.

What is Carb-Loading?

Simply put, you eat carbs before a race, ideally 3-4 days before the big day. This does not mean you just keep stuffing yourself without any limit. Eat to your satisfaction, not to the point of discomfort. The recommended range is to eat 7-10 grams of carb per kg of your body weight for 3 days before the race. Pasta, rice, bread, pancakes/waffles, chappathi, bananas, baked potatoes (without skin), oatmeal are in the recommended list Vegetables and fruits have carbs too but is best to keep them to a minimum, as they have fibre and too much fibre before a race can derail you with stomach issues!

What is Fat Loading?

Now, glycogen is not the only source of energy your body has access to, it’s just the most easily digestible one! During a marathon, you burn both glycogen and fat. But the body has to work harder to convert fat into fuel, which is why it prefers to burn carbs than fat. Fat encompasses everything from meat to dairy to nutty oils – think bacon fried in butter or eggs sautéed in coconut oil. The one thing that is NOT present in fat loading is carbs, so all grains, fruits and sugars are out of this diet.

Carb Loading vs Fat Loading: Which is best?

There is no right answer to this question, as it is entirely a matter of what you want to do and which option is most suited to your body. From an economic perspective, foods used in carb loading are cheaper and easier to prepare. That said, a diabetic runner will certainly not take to carb-loading in a healthy way, and can benefit from fat loading which has almost zero carb content. If you are not insulin resistant, or if you are following a keto diet, you can certainly opt for fat loading about 9-10 days before the race.

Recent scientific studies have revealed that a fat-heavy diet can work for runners, as it teaches your muscles to be fat burners. So when you are trained to use fat as fuel during a race, glycogen storage is saved up for later use, resulting in an actual delay of “hitting the wall” – this means it can even be avoided completely. It does take a few weeks for your body to adapt to fat loading, so make sure you don’t experiment too close to the D-Day!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A published author and an avid rambler, Radhika Meganathan is a recent keto convert who may or may not be having a complicated relationship with bacon and butter.

Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2017 attracts elite runners from across the world. Nandini Reddy profiles six of the best runners at the event this year who you should definitely meet.

The best marathon runners of our time will be at the ADHM this year. So if you want to meet the ones who inspire millions every year with their enviable timings and unbeatable endurance skills, then you should be at the ADHM start and finish line this year. I am profiling six of the best men and women runners who will be at the start line of the ADHM marathon this year.

Geoffrey Kirui

Geoffrey Kirui is a Kenyan long-distance runner who has run in cross-country races, track races and road marathons across the world. Kirui started his winning streak in 2011, when he won gold at the African Junior Athletics Championship in the 10,000m race. Kirui is the current reigning champion of the World Championships in marathon with a time of 2:08:27 hours. This Boston Marathon 2017 winner is the first Kenyan to win the race after a drought of many years. His specialties include 10000 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, Cross, Half Marathon, Marathon, and Cross team event.

Tamirat Tola

This Ethiopian long distance runner boasts of having the top six finishes in the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. Tola made his half marathon debut in 2013 and made a quick climb to a marathon debut with a time of 2:06:17 hours for fourth at the high-profile Dubai Marathon. Several good performances on the circuit in late 2015/early 2016 led to wins at the Cross Internacional de Itálica, Cross International de la Constitución, Boclassic and Great Ethiopian Run. The 26 year old runner won his first Olympic bronze in the 10,000 m race at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Tola broke the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2017 course record, clocking 2:04:11 at the IAAF Gold Label Road Race,

Alex Korio

This year’s TCS Bangalore World 10Kwinner , Kenyan Alex Korio clocked a stunning time of 28:12 minutes. The Elite runner specializes in track and road running and has competed in several prestigious half marathon’s clocking in a career best time of 58:51 minutes this year at the Copenhagen Half Marathon. Korio is placed 7th in the world ranking for men’s road running and is a favourite at half marathon events.

Almaz Ayana

This Ethiopian born, long distance runner is a fan favourite and has made it a habit to break records. Ayana broke the 10,000 metres world record, set in 1993, while winning the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. She ran the 10,000 m competitively for the first time at the June 2016 Ethiopian Olympic trials in Hengelo, Netherlands where she posted the fastest ever debut time of 30:07. Ayana also took home the gold in the World Championships 2017, for the 10,000m.

Worknesh Degefa

Degefa is an Ethiopian long distance runner who has won several half marathon’s worldwide. Her first win was the Yangzhou Jianzhen Half Marathon which she completed in 1:08:43 hours. Lisbon Half Marathon, Gothenburgsvarvet and Prague Half Marathon are a few of her recent wins. Degefa debuted and won the prestigious Dubai marathon this year in the women’s race with a timing of 2:22:36 hours.

Paskalia Chepkorir

This Kenyan long distance runner is the most popular female runner in the half marathon circuit. Chepkorir’s debut into the world of running began in 2003 with her first silver win at the World Youth Championships in Athletics. Her half marathon career started in 2008 and she has competed and won in some of the most elite races across the world including the Berlin Half Marathon, Nairobi Half Marathon, Udine Half Marathon and the Corrida Internacional de São Silvestre. She is one of the top ten runners for 10K runs with a timing of 30:57 minutes. Her personal best in the half marathon has been 67:17 minutes.

These impressive elite runners set new benchmarks with their achievements every year. Get a chance to meet them when you run the ADHM this weekend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An irregular runner who has run in dry, wet, high altitude and humid conditions. Loves to write a little more than run so now is the managing editor of Finisher Magazine.